An erudite investigation that rewards patient, careful reading.
Ancient Egyptian philosophy revealed in a hieroglyphic text.
Classicist and linguist Morrow (Wolves and Honey: A Hidden History of the Natural World, 2004, etc.) offers a meticulous exegesis of the Pyramid Texts, a manuscript of hieroglyphics inscribed on stone walls within the Pyramid of Unis in the Saqqara Plateau. Unearthed in 1880 and 1881, the text “is the earliest surviving body of written poetry and religious philosophy in the world.” The author insists that previous translators, believing ancient Egyptians to be wholly materialistic, with no interest except for “earthly pursuits and pleasures,” have starkly “misunderstood, misrepresented, and marginalized” the inscriptions as “violent, pornographic, and stupid.” Morrow, however, bringing to bear her own exaltation of Egyptian culture, sees them as “superbly lucid” and “supremely intelligent” considerations of philosophical and religious questions: “What is life on earth, how does it relate to time and the interrelationship of all things, what is death, what survives death?” Her new translation comprises the central 90 pages of the book, framed by an introductory section analyzing the intricate composition of each hieroglyphic and a concluding section investigating the “deeper design” of Egyptian religious belief. “Hieroglyphs are simple,” the author claims. “The multiplicity unfolds in the meaning.” Steeped as she is in mythology, history, archaeology, the Egyptian landscape and natural environment, and other religious practices, such as tantric yoga, Morrow deduces poetic, multilayered meaning that is sometimes challenging to follow. She is persuasive, nevertheless, in demonstrating that hieroglyphics “are metaphors drawn from physical reality itself, tactile, observable, knowable.” The inscriptions, for example, make repeated references to astronomy, particularly the changing constellations marking the seasons. As a whole, she argues, the Pyramid Texts seek “the magical key, the pattern that lies beyond form, the invisible, eternal structure of life.”
An erudite investigation that rewards patient, careful reading.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-374-20010-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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